GMO labeling

Leaders on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee this week reached an agreement on legislation that would require the first mandatory, nationwide label for food products containing genetically engineered ingredients.

If the bill were to pass, it would override labeling laws in such states as Vermont, as well as legislation under consideration in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Vermont Public Radio's Kathleen Masterson reports.

Between 60 to 70 percent of foods in supermarkets contain genetically modified organisms, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. State lawmakers are pushing two bills that would require the labeling of genetically modified foods sold in Rhode Island.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants and animals that have had their genes transferred between other plants and animals that are distantly related or not related at all. Most of the corn and soybeans grown in the United States come from genetically engineered seeds.